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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797807">Tapestry of Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir'>amethyst-noir (Arbonne)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Collection [106]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Happy Ending, Heavy Angst, Hurt Stephen Strange, Hurt/Comfort, IronStrange Bingo 2020, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Near Death, Self-Sacrifice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 11:54:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,228</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26797807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>There was no other way.</i>
</p><p>Stephen tends to sacrifice himself. A lot. Leaving behind a broken-hearted Tony.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tony Stark/Stephen Strange</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prompt Collection [106]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1126062</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>IronStrange Bingo 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tapestry of Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The amazing anon prompt this is based on can be found in the end notes. All 🦋 in this story belong to @atypical-snowman.</p><p>@ironstrangebingo prompt: <i>Soul Mate</i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>So hey, hey, hey, hush, don't be crying now, hear<br/>
</em>
  <em>Cos any day fortune may wander down, dear<br/>
</em>
  <em>And we can see a world that is milk and honey<br/>
</em>
  <em>The tapestry of life as a beautiful journey<br/>
</em>
  <em>There's always a promise of a silver lining<br/>
</em>
  <em>There's that elation of perfect timing<br/>
</em>
  <span class="small">~<em> In A Perfect World</em>, Poets of the Fall</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>"Hey."</p><p>A gentle tap against his hip. Stephen protested with a wordless sound and curled up on his right side, hoping that Tony would get the hint but he had no such luck.</p><p>"Wake up, sweetheart." Tony's hand brushed through is hair a couple of times before it settled on the back of his neck with a gentle squeeze.</p><p>"Why?" he mumbled, still trying to escape back into sleep.</p><p>"Because I have to go and I don't want to without having seen your gorgeous eyes, baby. Come on, just a moment." Tony's voice was low and husky, meant to soothe, but it was clear that he wouldn't give up without getting what he wanted.</p><p>Never a goodbye without looking at each other. They had promised each other that after that disastrous day when Stephen had vanished without a word, because he didn't want to wake up his lover, only to come home to a bruised and beaten up Tony.</p><p>"When you put it like that," he grumbled but he was smiling when he opened his eyes.</p><p>Tony was kneeling next to the bed, still busy petting him and grinning like an idiot when he finally had Stephen's undivided attention. He looked incredible in his suit, purple tinted glasses already on. "Good morning, sunshine. You okay?"</p><p>Every movement reminded Stephen about last night and he couldn't wait to discover all the marks Tony had left on his body when he was under the shower. Later. Much later. "Never been better."</p><p>"Good." Tony leaned forwards and Stephen let himself be kissed, moaning slightly when Tony started to play dirty with his tongue.</p><p>"Don't start things when you don't have the time to finish," he warned.</p><p>Tony laughed at that and again squeezed the back of his neck gently. "I'll never be finished with you. Tonight?"</p><p>Stephen nodded, already dozing off again. "I'll call you when I'm back," he promised.</p><p>In answer, Tony kissed him on the tip of his nose. "Sweet dreams," he whispered.</p><p>The words followed Stephen down into his dreams until FRIDAYs emergency alarm woke him up about an hour later.</p><p>*</p><p>There was no other way. Stephen had run the mental calculations, five times, and the end result was always the same. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and prepared himself for the inevitable pain as well as the also inevitable shouting match with Tony after he'd regained consciousness again. <em>If</em> he woke up again.</p><p>
  <em>I'm sorry, my love. Please try to forgive me.</em>
</p><p>He only hoped that he wouldn't wake up alone. Anger would be preferable to that.</p><p>He could still feel the bruises Tony had left on his hips last night, could feel how much fun they had with every movement. He called the memory forwards, sank into it, and let it give him the strength to do what must be done.</p><p>He was hearing Tony's voice, telling him that he was loved, when he released the spell. Everything around him went dark before he could see if his gambit had even worked out.</p><p>A desperate "Stephen!", so different from the passionate shout of last night, was the last thing he heard.</p>
<hr/><p>Stephen's hand was ice-cold and felt even more fragile than usual between his own. Tony couldn't take his eyes off it, too afraid to rise his head and look into Stephen's ashen face. He was so <em>still</em>, apart from the slight movement of his breathing, and their tiny companion, there was nothing that told Tony that his lover was still alive.</p><p>That, and all the data of Stephen's vitals FRIDAY constantly streamed to his glasses, of course. He would never ever Stephen let out of her sight again. Hell, he would never, ever let Stephen out of <em>his</em> sight again. He would encase him in nano-tech or shackle him to the bed. <em>Anything</em> to keep the man from doing the fucking stupid self-sacrifice routine ever again. Hell, maybe the Cloak would help him, after it had recovered its own strength and could do more than play blanket for its master.</p><p>"He's still breathing," Bruce reassured him but it was cold comfort.</p><p>That was pretty much everything Stephen was doing right now but it was better than a few hours ago when he hadn't even been able to do that on his own.</p><p>Tony forced himself to look away from Stephen and to the tiny blue butterfly perched on the railing of the bed, the only truly visible sign that not only his body was barely alive but that the mind inside of it was still there as well.</p><p>"And the rest of him?"</p><p>"Recovering as well. Steadily and at an amazing speed. From what I could gather it's normal after the kind of spell he performed."</p><p>"Normal that he <em>died</em>?!" Tony hissed, trying to keep his voice down. He didn't want shouting to be the first thing Stephen heard when he woke up. No, Tony would keep it for when Stephen was recovered. There would be words, there would be shouting, but not yet. "Sorry," he whispered and moved just enough to kiss Stephen's forehead.</p><p>"He didn't really die, Tony," Bruce said, treating him like he was some clueless idiot in an ER room.</p><p>"He didn't breathe and his heart stopped. I had to <em>reanimate</em> him in the middle of ground zero, for heaven's sake! Tell me how that is not dying in every definition of the word!"</p><p>"Tony."</p><p>Stephen's whisper saved Bruce from an answer. Tony barely noticed him leaving the room, too busy concentrating on watching like a hawk as Stephen fought his way back into the waking world.</p><p>"Hey," he murmured and put a hand on Stephen's cool cheek. "Welcome back, asshole. You scared the shit out of me."</p><p>"Sorry." Stephen opened his eyes for a moment, seemingly just to make sure that Tony was really here, before he closed them again with a near silent sigh. "I didn't have a choice."</p><p>Tony fought for every last shred of his composure to keep himself from exploding right here and then. He tightened his hold around Stephen's wrist until he knew that it was <em>almost </em>painful.</p><p>"There's always a choice," he said as evenly as possible.</p><p>"Like when you flew a nuclear warhead into a wormhole?" Stephen was so exhausted that he wasn't even reacting to the pressure and Tony's anger cooled considerably.</p><p>Stephen was playing dirty, so this was really, truly, undeniable, serious. <em>Fuck.</em> "This wasn't an extinction level event," Tony protested, but much quieter. "Also, you didn't even know me back then." His hold became loose again and he caressed Stephen's wrist in silent apology. A lazy blink showed him that it was accepted.</p><p>"It would have been, if I hadn't closed that portal," Stephen said quietly, barely able to keep his eyes open, and already breathless. "I know. I've seen it before. I had to do it quickly, there was no time…" He sighed, letting go of whatever explanation he wanted to offer. "I'm sorry, Tony. I truly am. But…"</p><p>"Shh. I know, baby, I <em>know</em>." He really did and would have done the same if their roles had been reversed. Knowing that didn't make the truth any less bitter or easier to handle, though. "Just rest and recover, okay?"</p><p>"Is everyone else all right?"</p><p>Tony swallowed what he really wanted to say. "Yeah," he said instead. "A few cuts and bruises, the last one mostly egos. You know how they get when magic saves the day. The witch was rather impressed by your portal-closing skills and even found it in herself to tell me that." That one had really driven the point home. He'd known from the very first day - hell, <em>hour</em> - of knowing Stephen that he was a powerful magic user. The irregular reminders of just <em>how</em> powerful he could be if he threw all caution overboard always chilled Tony to the bone.</p><p>"Good. I have a reputation to keep." Stephen still had a slight, satisfied smile on his face when he fell asleep again.</p><p>"Yeah," Tony repeated dully to his unresponsive audience of one sleeping sorcerer, his exhausted and unmoving Cloak, and one magical butterfly. "Very good. Perfect. Couldn't be better."</p><p>He leaned down to gently kiss Stephen on the lips, ignoring the tears he could feel on his face until the Cloak wiped them away with the little bit of strength it could muster after having lent most of it to Stephen's spell.</p><p>One day he would lose Stephen to the damn magic, he'd known that even before he'd taken him into his bed and into his heart and soul but the knowledge didn't make him feel any better.</p><p>The bracelet he'd made in lieu of a ring seemed to weigh a ton. So many weeks he'd been carrying around but he still hadn't found the courage of offering it to Stephen so far.</p><p>"Stay with me, sweetheart," he whispered against Stephen's lips. "Just stay with me for a little while longer." The rest of his life sounded nice, actually. "Please."</p>
<hr/><p>Recovery.</p><p>A word Stephen had used so often and so carelessly in his old life. Now that he knew what it truly meant from personal experience he hated it with a passion.</p><p>Sure, it was easy to tell a patient - or their loved ones - that they would recover in time and with the right therapy. It was even true.</p><p>He really, truly hadn't expected that the other side was as excruciating painful and boring as it was.</p><p>"You're being melodramatic again, sweetheart. It's only been a couple of days and you're wondering while you're not up and running after your heart stopped. You're supposed to be a doctor, you should know that it takes time to heal."</p><p>"I haven't said a word!" he protested automatically, choosing to focus on the first part and ignoring the second. He looked at Tony. Tony, who had spent pretty much every day at home to keep his bedridden lover company. The man was truly a saint. A sarcastic, idiotic one, yes, but a saint nonetheless. Now Stephen was fit enough to get up and he wanted <em>out</em>. Anywhere but here sounded good but Tony was stalling him.</p><p>"You don't have to." Tony gave a sigh as he stood up from his improvised office chair, stretched and waved the holographic screen away. Stephen could hear his vertebra pop from across the room and winced in sympathy. "Your silent suffering is loud enough to drown out even <em>my</em> thoughts. Compliment on that, by the way. Not even AC/DC manage that."</p><p>Now it was Stephen who winced. "Thank you for not blasting me with music while you work." He liked his music, yes, but not at the volume Tony did.</p><p>Tony smiled at that and came nearer. "Everything for you, my love," he said so very softly that Stephen could barely hear him. He settled down next to Stephen on the bed, eyes downcast and fixed on Stephen's hands.</p><p>The quiet words confirmed something Stephen had known for a while now but had been too scared to even admit to himself.</p><p>He forced himself to keep his trembling hands out in the open. Hiding was useless. Tony already knew their damage by heart after all, had traced and kissed them countless times. He watched with wary resignation as Tony took his right hand and circled his wrist with his fingers. Stephen relaxed into the loose hold without even meaning to. Tony tended to have that effect on him. Caused him to lower his guard, kindled hope deep inside of him, made him smile and forget about the pain for a while.</p><p><em>Made for each other</em>, he thought and smiled. "Be careful what you promise." Instead of a dire warning the words came out breathless and far needier than he'd wanted them to be. By the Vishanti, how much he <em>wanted</em>...</p><p>"Everything," Tony repeated in a firm tone. "You know," he continued in an almost casual tone, "there's something I've wanted to give to you for a long time now. At first, I was too scared, then there were a few moments when I was afraid it was too late, and then I was too scared again."</p><p>The hold around his wrist tightened, as if Tony wanted to keep him from turning away. As if he ever could turn away from the brightest and best thing he'd ever known in all of his lives.</p><p>Fuck, Stephen knew where this was going, had known that Tony had been a hairsbreadth away from asking a couple of times before.</p><p><em>No</em>, his subconscious told him sternly. <em>No fucking way. Don't you dare…</em></p><p>"Yes," he said out loud.</p><p>Tony laughed. "You don't even know…" A look let him fall silent for a moment. "We've done so many things backwards; I want to do this right. So: Stephen Strange, will you marry me?"</p><p><em>No!</em> everything inside of him screamed at him that this was a bad idea for a myriad of reasons. There were more reasons against it than atoms in the universe. That, coupled with the fact that there was no way in the Dark Dimension that Stephen deserved...</p><p>"Yes," he said once again, trying to beat the doubts back into the locked box where they belonged. "There's nothing I'd like more in this life." <em>Or any other.</em> "Yes, please, a thousand times over." <em>Make me yours. Mark me for the universe to see whom I belong to.</em></p><p>He leaned in to capture Tony's mouth in kiss before the man could say something stupid and/or disgustingly romantic. Stephen was already on the verge of bursting into tears, he couldn't take the chance and let Tony speak.</p><p>He was determined to spend whatever time he had left making Tony as happy as possible. Tony deserved nothing less, after all.</p>
<hr/><p>Stephen's attempt at distracting him was as transparent as his claims that he was well enough to return to the Sanctum and take up his duties again. Still, Tony let him have this victory, too happy to do anything but respond to Stephen's kiss.</p><p><em>He said yes.</em> He'd never really doubted what the eventual answer would be but to actually <em>hear</em> it, to see Stephen's whole face light up, his eyes glassy with tears of happiness, the way his breath caught at the realization that Tony had finally found the courage to ask… somehow, Tony had managed to get the most magnificent man ever and claim him as his. He would never, ever let him go again, he promised them both.</p><p>He pulled Stephen into an embrace, careful of his still tender upper body. He half wished that Stephen was well enough for their usual, sometimes rough, handling of each other but the need to be careful somehow made the whole thing sweeter and slower than it otherwise would have been.</p><p>Tony liked it. No, he <em>loved</em> having all the time in the world to kiss and be kissed, to let his hands wander over Stephen's beautiful body, to find his way under the loose shirt and caress the warm skin.</p><p>"What do you want, baby?" he whispered against Stephen's lips while slightly pinching his right nipple.</p><p>A soft groan and an even softer "you, inside of me" was the eventual answer, followed by Stephen lowering himself down to the bed and taking Tony with him. The way he offered himself up was still as breathtaking as it had been the first time.</p><p>Thanks to some freaky magic and his innate strength Stephen was basically okay, Tony knew. As long as they didn't overdo it they could have their fun.</p><p>"Hmm, nice," Tony purred. "I like it. But first…" He put his hand on Stephen's chest to keep him down. "I have something for you."</p><p>Stephen blinked at that, obviously confused at being taken out of the pleasant haze that had already begun to engulf him.</p><p>"Oh," he whispered in surprise when Tony presented him with the bracelet. "Not a ring. You made…" He broke off, tearing up again, and reached out with a trembling hand. "Thank you," he whispered and began to explore it with his fingers, as well as his eyes. Tony loved how tactile his lover - no, fiancé now - was and once again mourned the loss of sensation in his hands. Life had been so fucking unfair to him that the rage about it caught Tony over and over again.</p><p>The quiet words and the world of emotion behind them almost broke Tony's heart in what was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of his life. He hadn't spoiled Stephen enough if he was still startled by small things like that, if he had truly expected a ring instead of something more suited to him. The sex-drenched atmosphere from just seconds ago melted away into something else, something much more precious. Tony mourned it only for a moment.</p><p>He wiped away Stephen's tears. "I've seen how much trouble your sling ring gives you on a bad day. No way I'm adding to that. You should know me better than that." He could have kicked  himself for not making that clearer.</p><p>Stephen smiled at that. "You did. I'm just an idiot who refuses to see what's right in front of him." He touched the metal with trembling fingers. "Just metal?"</p><p>Tony heard the unspoken question. "A gold-titanium alloy, similar to the first few armors I made. Nothing else, I swear." No hidden sensors, no trackers, no matter how tempted he'd been. "It's just boring jewelry, nothing else."</p><p>"There's nothing boring or 'just' about it," Stephen corrected absently. He explored the intricate engravings Tony had put onto the thin band. It was a wild mix-and-match of some of Tony's signature design, combined with some of Stephen's signature ones - the Eye of Agamotto, to remind Stephen of their first meeting, the seal of the Vishanti just because Tony thought it was pretty, and a couple of others he'd seen turn up again and again, engraved so finely that they were almost invisible except when the light fell onto them just the right way and one looked closely.</p><p>"It's beautiful. Thank you." Stephen leaned in for another kiss. "Wait until you see yours."</p><p>"Aww, you made me a bracelet, too?" Tony teased, busy chasing Stephen's mouth when he drew back a little bit. His heart, the old traitor, sped up at the prospect of wearing something made by Stephen.</p><p>"A ring," Stephen corrected softly. "You have such beautiful hands; I want to see them decorated by something made by me when you do your magic on a keyboard."</p><p>If this went on for much longer Tony was going to have a happiness inducted heart attack, really. "Can't wait to see it," he managed to squeeze past the sudden block in his throat. He balled his hand into a fist, already imagining the weight of metal around his finger, the final proof that this was <em>it</em>, that Stephen was his and he was Stephen's. Death could go hang, as far as he was concerned, there would be no 'until death does us part' clause in their vows.</p><p>It had only taken about fifty years or so but he'd finally found the missing piece of himself in Stephen.</p><p>Stephen wordlessly held out his right hand - just like Tony had known he would. The left wrist was reserved for the broken watch Tony still didn't know the whole story behind. Apart from the fact that it was painful as hell and had something to do with a dog, that was.</p><p>The bracelet snapped shut with a soft click that appeared much louder than it actually was and seemed to echo in the room.</p><p>"Mine now," Tony whispered with a smile.</p><p>"Yours," Stephen confirmed, already busy exploring his newest accessoire with curious fingers all over again. He looked up and his smile was so brilliant that he almost looked healthy again. It was <em>radiant</em> and took Tony's breath away. "Forever and always," he added after a moment and looked back down to his wrist with a slight blush on his face.</p><p><em>Adorable</em>, Tony thought and put his hand over Stephen's. <em>And mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Forever.</em></p><p>Words that would be repeated - out loud and inside their own minds - by both of them quite often.</p>
<hr/><p>Forever apparently was about four months; not even enough time to properly enjoy their engagement, let alone anything else.</p><p><em>I'm sorry</em>, Stephen thought once again. He'd really hoped that he'd dodged that particular bullet after his last recovery but, no, fate had taken a particular interest in him and delighted in torturing him and the man he loved.</p><p>What a fucking bitch.</p><p>At least this time Tony wasn't there and wouldn't have to witness what undoubtedly was going to be last great act of defiance of Doctor Stephen Strange against the universe.</p><p>The choice had been an easy one, really. Either sacrifice himself now, and stop the threat, or see his whole planet and everyone he loved burn away into nothing.</p><p>Still… it <em>hurt</em>. Never getting to hear Tony say 'I do' in front of all their friends and family, never getting to enjoy their honeymoon, no gradual decline into old age together with the promise of them being together until the very end. To never feel Tony's touch on his skin again.</p><p>He absently touched his bracelet once again while conjuring up the memory of his ring on Tony's finger. How beautifully the metal contrasted with his skin; how it caught the light when Tony played with a keyboard or heavy machinery. How it sounded when it touched Stephen's bracelet, sometimes by mistake, sometimes by design.</p><p>"I'm sorry, my love." He echoed his words from the last time consciously even though there was nobody who could hear them. Not even his enemy, since it was a lifeless thing, a byproduct of an interdimensional war that had found its way to Earth and threatened to burn the atmosphere away should it manage to fully manifest.</p><p>There was nobody but Stephen here. All alone at the very end, apart from the Cloak, just like he'd always known it would be, despite all of his hoping to the contrary.</p><p>He looked at his bracelet one more time, patted the Cloak and got a squeeze in return, and gathered himself for the release of the magical blast he'd been carefully building up for the last hour or so.</p><p>"Bring me back home," he begged his companion. "Please. Tony deserves…" So many things but a body to bury was what he would get.</p><p>He never finished the sentence but he could feel the Cloak's resigned acceptance in the way it wrapped itself around him. It would honor his wish, he knew, and he'd been taken care of and Tony wouldn't have to wonder and live in futile hope that he would eventually return.</p><p>"Sorry," he repeated one more time, to Tony and to himself, and let go of everything he had.</p>
<hr/><p>The threat was banished but its master was not gone. Not yet. The Cloak would honor Stephen's promise to bring him back home to the one he loved, but it would also keep its own - to protect Stephen against everything, including his own self-sacrificial tendencies if necessary.</p><p>If anyone could save him it would be his soulmate, the Cloak was sure of that, and so it did the only thing it <em>could</em> do - bundled Stephen up tightly and took off at the fastest speed it was capable of.</p><p>
  <em>No matter where you two go - bring him back home. Always. Please.</em>
</p><p>Not only a mantra but also a promise Tony had begged of it and it intended to keep at all cost.</p>
<hr/><p>"Don't you dare leave me, you asshole. Not now. This is supposed to be our happily ever after. Don't do that to me. Please, Stephen, I can't take another unhappy ending. Come back."</p><p>Nobody knew what exactly Stephen had done but he'd depleted himself so completely like never before. The last time it had been hours after resuscitation until he'd regained consciousness but now it had been almost a week without any change of condition.</p><p>His very precarious condition.</p><p>Tony could barely stand to look at what little he could see of Stephen behind the heavy medical machinery and veil of magic that was the only thing keeping him halfway alive, but looking away would have hurt even more. The danger of Stephen slipping away and leaving him for good was too great so constant vigilance it was.</p><p><em>"He's still alive and fighting,"</em> Wong had assured him after a couple of Kamar-Taj's finest healers had examined him. That had been after the doctors had given up on Stephen and now that vague assurance was the only thing keeping Tony from having to keep the promise he'd made Stephen after the first euphoria of their engagement had faded and the time for the fine print had come.</p><p>
  <em>"No matter what happens - don't let me be a vegetable. Let me die with dignity should it be necessary and I promise to extend the same courtesy to you."</em>
</p><p>Stephen had always been the realist between them while Tony tended to hide behind the romantic lens of a happily ever after. Still, the promise had been an easy one. He could not deny Stephen something he himself wanted should it be necessary.</p><p><em>"Deal,"</em> he'd said. <em>"But don't think you'll escape me anytime soon. First I have to put another bracelet on you."</em></p><p>Stephen had smiled at that and held up both of his hands. <em>"I have no intention of doing that, believe me. I <strong>like</strong> jewelry; especially the kind you put on me."</em></p><p>They'd sealed the deal - first with a kiss and then with a night of lovemaking that still made Tony feel warm and had him half-hard in seconds whenever he thought about it.</p><p>Or at least it used to. Now not even that treasured memory could bring him joy. Not when he had to look at Stephen like this.</p><p>Still, lifeless and even paler than Tony had ever seen him before. The vibrant color of the Cloak - now doubling as a blanket - made him look even more washed out, even behind the faint golden glow of stabilizing and healing magic.</p><p>Tony tried to hate the barrier that kept him from Stephen but he couldn't. No matter how much magic had taken from him it also had saved Stephen over and over again.</p><p>"Come back," he repeated dully, too tired and exhausted for more. The Cloak perked up at his whispered words and wound itself around his wrist to tug him closer. It didn't let go of his hand until it was behind the magical barrier and on top of Stephen's still trembling one.</p><p>"Oh," he said, eloquently as always. He hadn't known that he was allowed to touch. "Thank you," he whispered and the Cloak squeezed his wrist gently before withdrawing again.</p><p>"Hey," he said to Stephen while holding his hand. "Your hand is cold." Stephen's hands were almost always too cool, thanks to bad circulation, so his comment was even more inane than it would have been under normal circumstances, but after days without sleep even his brain was shutting down.</p><p>He wanted to get Stephen out of here and home, into the comforts of their bed. He wanted to hold him, to warm him up, to cuddle him…</p><p>Tony was asleep, bent over, with his head next to Stephen's shoulder, before he could finish his little fantasy scenario.</p>
<hr/><p>Stephen woke up to the familiar feeling for strong fingers brushing through his hair.</p><p>"Stephen? Baby? It's time to wake up."</p><p>Tony sounded like hell. That was the first thing he noticed, apart from the soothing touch.</p><p>"We need to know that you're still in there, baby. Please, open those gorgeous eyes and look at me. Just for a moment. Please. You can rest after."</p><p>Stephen tried to comply, he really did, but everything felt so heavy and his body seemed out of reach.</p><p>"You have to show me you're still here or I have to keep that stupid promise I made to you. Please, don't do that to me. I'm not ready to let you go. Not yet, not ever." A sob. "Don't leave me. The till death part isn't supposed to come before the vows and they're not going into it anyway."</p><p><em>That</em> promise. Fuck. The circumstances were still out of reach but Stephen could <em>feel</em> the desperation coming off Tony and wanted nothing more than to get up, wrap his arms around him and offer comfort.</p><p>Opening his eyes was impossible, no matter how hard he tried to make Tony happy, but after an eternity or two he managed to whisper a near-silent "still with you". <em>Always</em>, he wanted to add but that was too much for his exhausted body and mind.</p><p>"Stephen? Sweetheart?"</p><p>Only now he noticed that his right hand was held in a careful grip. He just about managed to return to the barely there pressure.</p><p>"You're really with me?"</p><p>Another squeeze, before he drifted off again. Tony's relieved sobbing was the sound that followed him into oblivion.</p>
<hr/><p>"You scared me," Tony said quietly about a month or so later with a still very weak and damn near unable to do anything Stephen in his arms. At least the catheter was out now, thanks to Tony willingness to help Stephen to the bathroom and back whenever necessary.</p><p>Stephen gave a soft sigh and pressed his face against the side of Tony's neck. His eyes were closed as they were more often than not these days even when he was awake. Tony missed seeing his gorgeous eyes but for the time being he was content with having Stephen aware and with him for hours at a time.</p><p>"I've scared you before."</p><p>Tony swallowed. "Not like that. Before you didn't extract that promise from me." He blinked away the almost ever-present tears. "I'll keep it, no matter what, you know that."</p><p>"That's why I asked you," Stephen confessed quietly.</p><p>Because no matter what it might cost him - which was everything - Tony wouldn't go against Stephen's wishes. Never.</p><p>"I know." It didn't make it any easier, though.</p><p>"It might happen again."</p><p>"I know," Tony echoed quietly. He did. He just preferred to not think about it. "But how about if I get to marry you before you try to sacrifice yourself again, okay? I want to have a nice celebration and bring you home as my husband. Have a nice wedding night. Maybe even a honeymoon." He leaned down to kiss Stephen's temple and took a deep breath. "Maybe even give as a few years together before you do it again?"</p><p>He was rewarded by Stephen slowly blinking and looking up at him. The expressiveness of his eyes took Tony's breath away, just like it had on that very first day. Stephen was <em>beautiful</em>, there was no other word for it.</p><p>"How does a couple of decades sound?"</p><p>Oh, how Tony wanted that. "Don't promise things you can't keep," Tony begged. "Please. Don't. I can't…"</p><p>"Shh." It was slow and painful but Stephen managed to sit up to properly look at Tony. "Maybe I can't promise it but I can and will promise to do everything in my power to at least <em>try</em>." His shaking hand settled on top of Tony's and squeezed with even less strength than ever before. "It'll be a long time before my strength is rebuilt. Maybe I'll never be as powerful as I once was. Things have changed, plans have to be remade."</p><p>"Oh." So that was what Stephen and Wong - and that scary number of other sorcerers, that had been parading in and out over the last week - had been talking about after they'd kicked Tony out.</p><p>"It'll be years before I'll be powerful enough for strong magic again." He smiled slightly, half bitter, half relieved. "Maybe never. I can at least promise that you'll never have to watch me do that particular stunt again." He leaned forwards for a kiss. "I can be yours now in a way I couldn't before," he whispered just before pressing his lips against Tony's. "If you'll have me," he added, breaking Tony's heart all over again. It wasn't often but whenever that special kind of insecurity came through it made Tony fall for him all over again.</p><p>"Of course," he was eager to reassure. "You know that I'll want you in every way I can have you. Just," he drew back and gently traced Stephen's left cheekbone. "I'm sorry." The words felt inadequate but for Tony couldn't find any better ones. Once again Stephen had lost an integral part of himself.</p><p>Stephen shook his head and smiled. "It's okay," he murmured. His voice was quiet, even deeper than usual and still unused to much talking. "Look." He held up his hand and conjured a small, blue butterfly. "It's not gone," he explained gently. "I've just taken myself down a notch or two." He sighed. "Or maybe a thousand to be more adequate." The butterfly fluttered away until the Cloak carefully caught it and it became comfortable on its collar. The tiny thing was not only smaller than the ones Tony had seen him conjure before but also seemed more unsteady on his flight-path. "I've depleted myself almost to the point of death. I <em>should</em> be dead. There's no telling how and when my magic will recover but it's certain that it will take a long time." Stephen was way too calm but Tony was caught in his gaze, determined to not look away for a heartbeat now that Stephen was finally looking at him.</p><p>"And you're okay with that?" he asked when it became clear that nothing else was forthcoming.</p><p>A small shrug. "It is what it is. I'll adapt." He looked down at his hands, and Tony cradled both of them out of instinct. "I have found out that I'm rather good at that and that raging against the inevitable brings nothing but more pain and sorrow."</p><p>Tony didn't like the sound of that, not a bit, but he liked the calm serenity in Stephen's voice and eyes. It looked as if he'd found his peace with what happened - no matter who bitter the words sounded, his eyes never lied.</p><p>Still… "I'm sorry," he repeated. Magic scared him to death and back but the idea of Stephen being de-powered like that was heartbreaking. Stephen deserved such much more than a brutal downgrade.</p><p>Stephen ignored him. "I'm still the Master of the New York Sanctum. I'm not the most powerful sorcerer anymore but still the most tenacious one." He looked down at his hands, hidden beneath Tony's. "I'll still have a ton of responsibility but probably never advance any further now; hence me being able to dedicate myself to you in a way I couldn't before." He looked up and his smile was absolutely brilliant, making Tony fall for him all over again.</p><p>"Magic and duty won't take me away from you now. Never again."</p><p>Tony could do nothing but stare in awe as Stephen handed him all he'd ever wanted but never thought possible on a silver platter.</p><p>Stephen leaned towards him, eager for yet another kiss, and there was a freedom and ease of movement within him that Tony had never seen before.</p><p><em>The last defenses have fallen</em>, he realized, already busy trying to accommodate Stephen's onslaught of love as well as his still weakened condition. <em>He's truly mine now.</em></p>
<hr/><p>There were so many possibilities for weddings vows between them. Vows of eternal devotion, of death itself not being able to part them, of their names being written in the stars, and so many more.</p><p>Stephen, master of words, choose the plainest answer possible after Thor had asked the question: "Yes." It took him a moment or two but he managed to put the wedding ring on Tony's finger without help. His pleased and happy smile might be his most beautiful yet, in Tony's absolutely unbiased opinion.</p><p>"Forever," Tony said when it was his turn, just before he let the bracelet around Stephen's left wrist, just under the broken watch, snap shut. The sound echoed eerily across New Asgard's Hall, making the whole thing seem so much more final. He leaned in to kiss his husband for the first time while the Cloak fluttered in excitement around them.</p><p>The explosion of butterflies that followed wasn't Stephen's work but Wong's and Loki's. There was just one, almost blinding in its whiteness, and larger than any Stephen had ever conjured before, that exploded into being and settled on the collar of the Cloak.</p><p>"True soulmates," Loki murmured towards Thor at that, not even trying to sound disgusted. "Who would have thought that <em>those</em> two belong together for eternity?"</p><p>In the meantime Wong permitted himself a rare public smile, well out of sight of Stephen who was still busy being kissed into oblivion.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The prompt this story is based on:</p><p> <i>prompt - stephen almost kills himself doing a very important spell again in the midst of battle (maybe it wears him down so bad his heart almost stops or something). cue VERY worried tony, h/c, recovery, all that goodness. then, after stephen is recovered, he finds himself in a situation where he has to it again, but on a bigger scale. tony realizes halfway through and panics as he watches stephen more or less sacrifice himself to save them. assuming a happy ending, i can’t deal with death adfja</i></p><p>Thank you so much for reading! 🤍</p></blockquote></div></div>
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